Building in the Sims 4 is incredibly fun. If you want to get more out of it then I recommend checking out our sims 4 build mode guide and learning at least the build mode keys/controls below.
First off, let’s talk about all of the basic Sims 4 build mode hotkeys. There are things you can not do in build mode with just the mouse. You have to use hotkeys as well (hotkeys just mean a key or combination of keys on your keyboard to do certain actions, like CTRL + C to copy).
Basic Hotkeys
These are the hotkeys you will find yourself use most of the time when building.
- Delete Object: Del or Backspace (Delete sells the item, backspace moves it to your inventory)
- Rotate Object: < and > (also , and . )
- Place Object off-grid: Hold alt while moving object
- Place Object off-angle: Hold alt while rotating object
- Move to slot: M
Advanced Hotkeys
A lot of these can be achieved with the click of a mouse, but these make it faster and easier to build.
- Select the hand tool: H
- Switch to the wall tool: B
- Pick the eyedropper tool: E
- Switch to the sledgehammer tool: K
- Switch to the design tool: R
- Delete all walls/rooms: Hold CTRL
- Toggle between Wall/Room tool: Hold SHIFT
- Toggle the grid: G
- Decrease brush size: [
- Increase brush size: ]
- Undo previous action: CTRL + Z
- Redo previous action: CTRL + Y
All of these hotkeys are incredibly useful, but all they mainly do is increase your build speed. A couple of the keys, like increase brush size, are really useful when painting terrain.
Sims 4 Build Mode Controls FAQs
How to rotate objects in build mode?
To rotate objects you can use the < or > key as shown in the grid hotkeys above.
How do I turn off, hide or remove the grid in The Sims 4 build mode?
That can be achieved using G as stated above.
How do I move objects freely when in build mode?
To do this you need to enable a cheat using CTRL + SHIFT + C to bring up the cheat console. Then in the console type bb.moveobjects on
I hope you enjoyed this quick look at some of the build hotkeys for the Sims 4, let me know if I’ve missed any or you have any favourites to add to the list!
